The latest installment from the WWE’s love affair with its favorite period is the Attitude Era Vol. 2 3-disc DVD set. The new set features a collection of matches and moments from 1997-2000 featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, De-Generation-X and more.
[adinserter block=”1″]This new collection is a great companion to the original Attitude Era collection put out in 2012. The first collection gave you great, yet obvious vignettes, stories, and bouts that you probably have seen dozens of times or already own on several DVDs. What makes this collection so good is that it features a lot of great memories you probably either have forgotten or may have missed altogether, including some real gems.
The collection is a reminder of how much fun, yet goofy that era was. Chris Jericho recently criticized the era saying that there were a lot of stupid angles that people seem to dismiss. He’s right but what made the era so special were the matches, most specifically the atmosphere. Every crowd was hot which brought an exciting dynamic to almost every match from the era. It really gives you an appreciation for how hot the fans were during that time period.
I won’t run through the entire three discs but I do want to single out a few highlights in the set. Of course Stone Cold Steve Austin is a highlight alone. Seeing Austin at the height of his popularity in and out of the ring is a real reminder to how much fun it was to watch WWE during Austin’s era. No matter what he did, who he wrestled, or what he said, seeing Austin on television was can’t-miss TV. Austin is definitely the star of this set.
There is a lot more focus on the mid-under card in this set than the pervious. You get a lot of Val Venis, New Age Outlaws, X-Pac, Lita, etc. which isn’t a knock at all. The beauty of the era was that everyone and everything was over. The crowd adds to the excitement which make these undercard matches more exciting and intense than the majority of main-events you see in today’s WWE.
Some gems include a Lumberjack Match from RAW between Steve Austin and The Rock which I completely forgot about, a mixed tag-team match with Triple H and Trish Stratus vs. Rock and Lita, Rock and Lita vs. Kurt Angle and Stephanie McMahon, Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko from Heat, the very first Austin vs. McMahon match, and a fun Owen Hart vs. Shawn Michaels match from RAW. If you like The Rock you are in for a treat as you get a lot of rare matches from the Great One in the collection.
Overall it’s a great set and the time went by fast from DVD to DVD. For us that lived through this era, there are moments you will be reminded of that bring smiles back to your faces. For those of you who are new to the era, you will be blown away by how different the WWE was fifteen years ago and how much more exciting RAW was in 1999 and 2000 than it is in 2014. It’s not a knock on the company, just a reality and a sign of the times. I’d highly recommend the set. Make sure you put a few hours aside when you get it because once you start watching it you aren’t going to want to stop.
DISC 1
Bare Essentials
Miss Slammy Swimsuit Competition
Sunny vs. Sable vs. Marlena vs. The Funkettes
Slammy Awards * March 16, 1997
Owen Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
RAW * December 29, 1997
Bad Ass Dad
New Age Outlaws vs. Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie
RAW * January 26, 1998
Intercontinental Championship Match
The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock
Royal Rumble * January 18, 1998
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon
RAW * April 13, 1998
Leather & Chains
Owen Hart & Legion of Doom vs. Triple H & New Age Outlaws
RAW * April 20, 1998
D-Generation X Takes New York
RAW * June 8, 1998
Falls Count Anywhere #1 Contenders Match for the WWE Championship
Mankind vs. “Kane”
RAW * July 6, 1998
Letting the Dogs Out
Bikini Contest
Sable vs. Jacqueline
Fully Loaded * July 26, 1998
Val Venis & Taka Michinoku vs. KaiEnTai
RAW * August 3, 1998
WWE Championship Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Ken Shamrock
RAW * September 14, 1998
Boot Camp Match for Al Snow’s Contract
Al Snow vs. Sgt. Slaughter
RAW * September 21, 1998
[adinserter block=”2″]Six-Man Elimination #1 Contenders Match for the European Championship
Edge vs. Gangrel vs. D’Lo Brown vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Droz vs. Marc Mero
RAW * September 28, 1998
Extreme Name Change
WWE Championship Match
The Rock vs. X-Pac
RAW * November 23, 1998
DISC 2
Becoming a Pimp
Godfather & Val Venis vs. Mark Henry & DLo Brown
Rock Bottom * December 13, 1998
Triple H vs. Edge
RAW * January 11, 1999
Bloodbath
Kane’s Career on the Line
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane
RAW * March 1, 1999
Hardcore Championship Match
Hardcore Holly vs. Bad Ass Billy Gunn
RAW * March 15, 1999
Wild and Crazy Guys
Handicap Match
The Big Show vs. Triple H & The Rock
RAW * April 5, 1999
Pimpin’ Ain’t Country
Intercontinental Championship Match
Goldust vs. Godfather
RAW * April 12, 1999
The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian
Shotgun Saturday Night * April 17, 1999
Casket Match
The Rock vs. Undertaker
RAW * May 17, 1999
Intercontinental Championship Match
Jeff Jarrett vs. Test
Sunday Night Heat * June 13, 1999
DISC 3
Drinking with the APA
Tag Team Championship Match
Acolytes vs. Kane & X-Pac
RAW * August 9, 1999
Sexual Chocolate
Mark Henry Sex Therapy Sessions
Valentine’s Day Delight
Mark Henry and Mae Young Get a Room
RAW * February 14, 2000
Triple Threat Match for the European Championship
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Tazz
RAW * March 13, 2000
Behind Breaking the Walls
Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle
RAW * May 8, 2000
Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
Sunday Night Heat * June 18, 2000
Intergender Tag Team Match
The Rock & Lita vs. Kurt Angle & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
SmackDown * August 24, 2000
Triple Threat Match for the Women’s Championship
Lita vs. Ivory vs. Jacqueline
Sunday Night Heat * September 17, 2000
Weak Stomach
Hardcore Championship Match
Gerald Brisco vs. Crash Holly
RAW * June 5, 2000
Evening Gown Match for the Hardcore Championship
Gerald Brisco vs. Pat Patterson
King of the Ring * June 25, 2000
Wanna Ride?
Intergender Tag Team Match
The Rock & Lita vs. Triple H & Trish Stratus
RAW * July 31, 2000
BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES
The Undertaker Attends His Parents Funeral
RAW * April 20, 1998
#1 Contenders Match for the Tag Team Championship
Kane & Mankind vs. Owen Hart & The Rock
Sunday Night Heat * August 2, 1998
Golga vs. Marc Mero
RAW * August 3, 1998
Hardcore Championship Match
Al Snow vs. Road Dogg
RAW * January 4, 1999
Lumberjack Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock
RAW * May 3, 1999
Gangrel & Christian vs. Droz & Prince Albert
Sunday Night Heat * May 16, 1999
WWE Championship Match
Triple H vs. Mr. McMahon
SmackDown * September 16, 1999
Mark Henry and Mae Young Double Date
RAW * December 27, 1999
The APA Opens Their Doors
RAW * January 31, 2000
Last Man Standing Match
Triple H vs. Chris Jericho
Fully Loaded * July 23, 2000
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I really enjoyed Stone Cold Steve Austin’s title match vs. Ken Shamrock as well as the first main event on Heat between Kane & Mankind vs. Owen Hart & The Rock.